TradeWaltz Inc, Which Promotes the Digitalization of Trade, Has Been Selected for the “SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo” Program. Standard Connection API Development to Link with SAP Will Begin.

It has been announced that TradeWaltz Inc. (hereafter referred to as TradeWatlz), has been selected to be part of the 2021 second semester cohort of SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo which is operated by SAP Japan. Through the program, TradeWaltz will begin development and marketing of a standardized connection API that will connect TradeWaltz’s trading information platform TradeWaltz to the SAP ERP product. By doing this, TradeWaltz will further the promotion of digitalized trade by allowing SAP ERP users in Japan, as well as around the world, to more easily connect.

■ To further the digitalization of trade for large corporations, it is necessary to connect with the pre-existing PKG of the company.

TradeWaltz is striving for all communication among traders to be done electronically. After starting this business in November last year, over 500 large corporations have been surveyed regarding their current trading business.

The results showed that while small and medium-sized enterprises, which primarily do their trading through paper-based methods or small-scale systems and Excel, can change their trading business simply through using the TradeWaltz system, large corporations have already proceeded in the digitalization and data management within their companies through large-scale systems such as a backbone system. This shows the strong need to connect the pre-existing backbone systems and document systems to allow the data within the company to connect with data outside of the company.

Some companies that plan to introduce TradeWaltz have already started on improvements to their systems. However, we think that through the development of a standardized connection, the number of improvements needed will be reduced for all companies. Time and costs can also be reduced. Binal Corporation, the creators of Japan’s top trade document creating system, TOSS Series, has announce a cooperative partnership with us, furthering along the development of a standardized connection API. More information is planned to be shared on October 25^th.

■ First step to a standardized connection with SAP ERP, the world’s top ERP system.

There is a need among traders, especially SAP users, for a standardized connection with regards to a ERP system that combines information of contracts, accounting, and more. In July at a trade consortium, a survey was conducted. The results showed that 79% of SAP users think there is a strong need for a standardized connection to be developed.

It is with that intention that we applied for SAP iO Foundry Tokyo and secured a position. While keeping a close connection with SAP, we plan to determine the boundaries of standardization through this program with an aim to develop a standardized connection next fiscal year.

■ About SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo

SAP.iO Foundry is one of the initiatives of SAP to support startup companies reach a global level using the SAP.iO program. There are offices in 9 cities around the world and each operate a cohort program twice a year. The Tokyo office got starting in 2019 with an accelerator program together with startups and become a point of contact for those startups regarding the needs for change to industry in Japan. There have been 4 cohort programs completed since then.

The current cohort program, being held 4 October 2021 through 21 January 2022, will cover the following. The group will be made up of mentors consisting on SAP product specialists and key sales department personnel and a handful of selected members.

　① Sharing knowledge that will help in building a B2B business strategy

　② Implementation of connecting the SAP product with an API

　③ Cooperative approach to targeting SAP Enterprise users

■About TradeWaltz

Company Name                     TradeWaltz Inc.

Representative                       Hirohisa Kojima, President & CEO

Headquarters                         2F, Marunouchi Nijubashi Building,

2-2 Marunouchi 3-Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan

Date Established                   April 1, 2020

Main Operations                   Delivery of the TradeWaltz® SaaS(*2), a trading-related

information-sharing platform built with blockchain technology

Employees                              Fulltime: 26

URL:                                        https://www.tradewaltz.com

Register of shareholders:

NTT DATA Corporation

UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi Corporation

Toyota Tsusho Corporation

Kanematsu Corporation

Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.

Mitsui-Soko Holdings Co., Ltd.

Nissin Corporation

MUFG Bank, Ltd.

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.

（*1）「TradeWaltz」 is a registered trade mark in Japan of Trade Waltz Inc. Any other names of products, companies, groups, etc., are names and registered trademarks of their own.

（*2）SaaS stands for Software as a Service. It is a model that makes software available for use over the Internet.